Model Watch #1: At $2 per million input tokens, output prices run from $6 to $10
We read the public price pages of four paid model providers on 22 Oct 2026. We picked one general-purpose model from each that lists $2.00 per million input tokens, so the input price is the same and only output differs. This is not a ranking of models.
xAI lists $6 per million output tokens. Anthropic, OpenAI and Google list $10. Output costs 3x input at xAI and 5x at the other three.
Google's price is not fixed: its pricing page, last updated 19 Oct 2026, lists gemini-4-argon (Standard tab) at $2.00 input and $10.00 output through 30 Nov 2026, then $4.00 input and $20.00 output from 1 Dec 2026 (read on 22 Oct 2026; both prices are in the sheet).
| Provider | Model | Input (per 1M) | Output (per 1M) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| xAI | grok-4.7 | $2.00 | $6.00 | published by xAI |
| Anthropic | Claude Sonnet 5.5 | $2.00 | $10.00 | published by Anthropic |
| OpenAI | gpt-6.1-sol | $2.00 | $10.00 | published by OpenAI |
| gemini-4-argon (to 30 Nov) | $2.00 | $10.00 | published by Google | |
| gemini-4-argon (from 1 Dec) | $4.00 | $20.00 | published by Google |